We show what to consider when harvesting and storing bay leaves and explain how to dry bay leaves and use them in cooking.
The leaves of the laurel (Laurus nobilis) give many dishes a special aroma. Bay leaves are not only popular in Mediterranean cuisine, but have also been used medicinally for thousands of years. If you have your own laurel bush in the garden, you can always look forward to fresh leaves. But when is the best time to harvest bay leaves? How do you go about harvesting? How can laurel be preserved and used? And what medicinal effect does laurel have? We will answer all of these questions for you in this article.
Harvest the laurel properly
The coveted leaves of the laurel can be harvested either in spring or in autumn. Select a tree that is at least two years old to harvest. Because the older the bush is, the more aromatic its leaves are.
In addition to individual leaves, the entire tip of the shoot can also be removed. In this way, all the leaves on the first 20 to 30 centimeters of a branch are harvested at once. This saves you a few manual operations compared to removing individual sheets. During the main growth period in summer, however, you should keep your hands off the spice laurel and not harvest the leaves. Because at this time the leaves contain the least essential oil.
Harvest bay leaves at a glance:
- Do not harvest annual bay trees
- Harvest individual leaves or branches
- Best harvest time in spring or autumn
- The leaves are the least aromatic in summer
Note: There is a risk of confusion with the relatively similar-looking cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). However, due to its high content of hydrocyanic acid, this is extremely toxic, but also easy to convert - if you rub the leaves with your fingers, it smells intensely and unmistakably bitter and not at all spicy, as you are used to from the real laurel.
Drying and storing bay leaves
The leaves of the laurel canused both fresh and dried in the kitchen. Bay leaves can be stored and preserved using a variety of methods.
Ways to preserve bay leaves:
- Dry bay leaves in the oven
- Drying bay leaves in the dehydrator
- Freezing Bay Leaves
- Bake leaves in oil
The most common and well-known method is drying the bay leaves. If you hang the shoots in a shady place to air dry, the usability can be extended to up to two years. Fortunately, the dried bay leaves lose none of their spicy aroma. The leaves can also be dried well in the oven or in the dehydrator.
Tip: Dried bay leaves are considered good quality if they are still dark green in color. Brown leaves are a sign that the leaves are too old or have been poorly stored.
For freezing bay leaves, either whole branches or individual leaves are frozen. First wash the laurel and dry it. Now the leaves or twigs can be frozen in freezer bags. Another option is to freeze small portions in ice cube trays. Add bay leaves and water to ice cube molds. Last but not least, bay leaves can also be preserved in oil. Here you put the washed leaves in a glass and fill it with a good vegetable oil, for example olive oil. In addition, the oil can also be seasoned with other spices and herbs.
Using bay leaves: in the kitchen and as a medicinal plant
Bay leaves are characterized by a characteristic note that combines a tart taste with a spicy taste. There are bay leaf recipes, for example, for a number of meat dishes such as sauerbraten, veal or game. Many recipes call for cooking bay leaves to add a special flavor to soups and stews. However, the bay leaf is not pureed, otherwise the taste would be far too intense. Before a dish with bay leaves is put on the plate, you should remove the leaves again. The leaves are not suitable for consumption. Their consistency doesn't allow for that and the aroma is far too intense and would drive away all other tastes and aromas from the taste buds.
A little tip: Crinkle the bay leaves beforehandput them in the saucepan. This allows the aroma to be released even better and you can be more economical with your self-harvested supply of bay leaves from your own cultivation.
Even in ancient times, the Romans and Greeks knew that laurel leaves have healing properties. Alleviating coughs and colds, quenching pain and fever or treating indigestion are among the he alth effects of bay leaves. A laurel tea can be prepared from the leaves by boiling them for ten minutes. Bay leaf tea has the effect of purifying the blood vessels. Laurel tea also helps with coughs and colds. There are no known side effects of bay leaf tea. The medicinal effects of bay leaf are even said to help with diabetes, as eating bay leaves lowers blood sugar levels.
In addition to the leaves, the laurel fruits can also be used as medicine. The dark-colored berries are boiled and pressed. The resulting bay leaf oil contains essential oils and can be rubbed onto the skin. Bay leaf oil is used for bruises or bruises and is said to relieve joint pain. It is popular as a fragrance component in the perfume industry because of its pleasant scent.
Some also swear by incense with bay leaves. Burning the bay leaves produces a relaxing and fragrant smoke.
If you are now interested in harvesting bay leaves from the garden, you can find out everything about how to grow bay leaves in your own garden in our special article.